Stop and automatic latch for sliding car doors



C. LUTE STOP AND AUTOMATIC LATCH FOR snows CAR DOORS Filed Nov. 25, 1946 2 Sl-IEETS-Sl-IEET l -/NVENTOE- C981. L UTE C. LUTE March 24; 1953 STOP AND AUTOMATIC LATCH FOR SLIDING CAR DOORS Filed NOV. 25, 1946 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 M 2 .1 A3 2 1 I Patented Mar. 24, 1953 STOP'ANDiAUTQMATICISATCH"FOR5 SLIDING, CAR DOORS? Garb Lute; Hammond, Ind. assignor' to;- The: Youngstown} Steela Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio aeorpprationzof Ohid Application November=25, 19.46} Serial No:- 7-1 2 ,1 90

9rGlaimst 'Ifliiscinyention; relates t'oraz stopz-and' automatic latch; for sliding: car: doiorst and more: especially for sliding doors of refrigerator cars.

It: isz. am 0103 ect; of this invention tb; provide a stop for: limiting: opening movement of sliding: doors; embodying 'a' latch automaftically: engaged ableswithe means onzthepdoors'rfor: retaining them in'ropen; position:

in further obfiectzisz 1101; provide a,- deviceof? the characterrstatediabove wherein thedatch is: actu atBditDl latChiHg POSitiCH? bysthe movement: of: the: door:.

fimtherr'object: is to; provide 6 a: stopc for limit ingc opening: movement of; slidingdoors: embody ingtaai latch automatically 'engageable with means n;- the: dODISLfDlY? retaining: themr in: open a position:

andiwhich shall, beibiase'di totinoperative pesition upon: disengagementifrom: said-2 door means:

Other? objects: off the invention will? become clear as theedescriptionctlrereofiproceedsa In: the: drawingsaforming part of "this specifica-- tiont:

Rig; 1; is ;a.. fragmentary elevation: of a ref-rig erator CEIiitOE-W-hlCIIlaLStOD embodying the instantinventionrisrapplied:

Eig. 2:isi.a"fragmenta1:y.: elevation showing the door open. and latched; position.

3i isaa horizontahseetion taken on 1'ine 3 -3 of= Fig:..2..

Eig.-4zis1a vertical'i'secti'on: taken-a on lined-4 0i Fig.2.

Eigafrzis a; section-taken on line- 5 -5 of Fig= 4 showing the latch: in. inoperative position in dot I and; dash; lines;

the dooryinciudingethe; inclinedirearf' edge l z -is shown insectionin 3-; of theidrawings'a Itiis-desirablertodimitzthes extent: of: thetopen-J 66:

2; ing? moyementpot triad-conanditozsecnre;the doorin. its; open: positiorr; To: this: end; a. swinging: catch: 1:3 is; pivotallyrsupportemby meansrof: aepin'a I4 uponzazbrachet: I15 secured as by meanstof rivets 16:: adjacent: to: theireariedgez oisthe: door; Aszis moretclearlyrshowri imFigai 13 of: the} drawingszthe catch: I3; is; arrangedaso thatr pi'ojectszbeyonds 61185 1394112 edge; of;;' the door; A

Aostop: member I113. preferahlm-imthe; formzofi a;

casting, Aiszsecuredxasxhyrmeanszofsriyetsi t8, 110117118- carside Ill. Stop ll emhodiessamattaching base:

l9 and an inclined wall 20 which has the; same inclination as the: rear? edge 12; of; the. door. Spaced flanges: 2 I: and 213' extend; outwardlysandz upwardly from:v theiattachinga; base;v lintorabut.-

ment: with the; inclinedc-walli 211: A1 latch! arm: 2 3;- is--pivotally supported 'betweenvtheifiangesial 3 and zzuponvapinizl secured toithexflangesffon swinge ing; movement? in anupwardly and? outwardlys in'clinedplane(transverse:ttrthezcarside. The pin 2 4 extends: thronglnthe. angular: branches 25: and a 2 6* of, as biiurcatem endt of; the; arm: 23; An:,actu:-- ating arm 21:15 disposed between the branches 25 and112.6: of. arm 23*: and is pivotally connected, theretosbyrmeans. of iazpin 28.. ActuatingrarmzZl; as; more; clearly shown: in: Figs: 1; 285M} of": the

drawings; isaadaptedtto extend thro.ugh: an: open;-

ing:2 9.-:f0rmed:1in the-sdcorrengagingtawallxznixofrthe; stop so:asr-tor:1i"e in. the path: of: movement; of; and: be engageable: by; the rearr edge: of the: door; A waili30; extends; from: theydoor: engaging: wall 2'0." between-l the spaced flan'gesit 21-1 and 2%: in :order; to: limitss winging movement; it the-latch; arm 12:3.

An additional? stop-"3d;- ofany desiredmonstruca tion fastened: ton-thevc'arsi'de. is: adapted torengage' thegupper;portionzofl therdoon?and:1imit;its:operringimovementii To: open: the;-:doorr I L it;isizfirstsswungslaterallyr of: thcrcar; out; of?- thes door: opening-:untilait'; clears: the-:sidezof the car. The doorriskthen:movedzlone gitudinally. As it approaches its full opemposif tion-,.,.th.ez=:reaer edge: I22 of: the doom wilkengagethfe end; of? the actuating arim 21: which projects" througlrthe-rwallzZfi offfthe; door; stun Thesdomi therebm exerts; a thrust; upon; the: actuating? arm; which; throug-hii. it's; pivota -II, engagementithe latch 317M); caus'emtheila'ttew to swingrabouh its pivotc pinizi. ArmaZfi imitsmwing-ihg: movement:

engagesithe.inclinedwnose1 32i oirthe: pivotedicat'ch l 3 thereby: causing: the. catch tmswing: upwardlyv about its'apivotalit andlpermittingzthe armi23-ltoc her engaged: by catch. opening; move ment-iofz'the dooris. arrested by the engagementoiithe' ream edge thereofirwithwa ll zll of theastop andiitsiaccidental movementdn closing"direction 3 is prevented by the engagement between arm 23 and catch l3.

It will be observed from Figs. 2, 3 and 4 of the drawings that the swinging movement of arm 23 occurs in a plane which is inclined upwardly and outwardly relative to the carside. It will also be observed that in the latched position of the door, arm 23 lies at an acute angle relative to the carside. Because of this positioning of the arm when in latching engagement with catch 13, it will be apparent that it is constantly biased to normalposition wherein the arms 23 and 2'! lie adjacent to the carside. Accordingly, when the catch I3 is disengaged from arm 23 in order to move the door in closing direction, the arm 23 will automatically swing toward the car wall so that the arms 23 and 21 will assume the position shown in dot and dash lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings. At that time the actuating arm 21 is extended beyond the door engaging wall 2! of the stop and is again in position to be engaged by the rear edge of the door so as to effect latching engagement between catch I3 and arm 23 as the door moves to its full open position.

It will be apparent that numerous changes and modifications in the details of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art. It is intended, therefore, that all such modifications and changes be comprehended within this invention, which is to be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. As an article of manufacture, a stop and automatic latch for sliding doors of railway cars comprising a stop member having a base adapted to be secured to a wall of a car, a door engaging wall extending outwardly of said base and having an opening, spaced flanges extending upwardly and outwardly from said base and abutting said door engaging wall, a latch arm pivotally supported between said flanges for upward and outward swinging movement, and an actuating arm pivotally connected to said latch arm, said actuating arm normally extending through said opening in said door engaging wall.

2. As an article of manufacture, a stop and automatic latch for sliding doors of railway cars comprising a stop member having a base adapted to be secured to a wall of a car, a door engaging wall extending outwardly of said base and having an opening, spaced flanges extending up wardly and outwardly from said base and abutting said door engaging wall, a latch arm pivotally supported between said flanges for upward and outward swinging movement, an actuating arm pivotally connected to said latch arm, said actuating arm normally extending through said opening in said door engaging wall, and means adapted to engage and limit swinging movement of said latch arm, for the purpose set forth.

3. As an article of manufacture, a stop and automatic latch for sliding doors of railway cars comprising a stop member having a base adapted to be secured to a wall of a car, a door engaging wall extending outwardly of said base and having an opening, spaced flanges extending upwardly and outwardly from said base and abutting said door engaging wall, a latch arm pivotally supported between said flanges for upward and outward swinging movement, an actuating arm pivotally. connected to said'latch arm, said actuating arm normally extending through said opening in said door engaging wall,

and means adapted to engage and limit swinging movement of said latch arm, for the purpose set forth, said means comprising a flange extending from said door engaging wall between said spaced flanges.

4. In a railway car having a sliding door, a pivoted catch fastened to said door adjacent to the rear edge thereof, a stop and automatic latch for said door secured to said car, said stop and automatic latch comprising a stop member having a wall adapted to engage the rear edge of said door for limiting opening movement thereof, a latch arm pivotally mounted on said stop member for swinging movement toward and away from the rear edge of said door, and an actuating arm pivotally connected to said latch arm, said actuating arm normally extending beyond said wall of said stop member, said rear edge of said door engaging said actuating arm during the final opening movement of said door and imparting a thrust thereto and swinging movement to said latch arm, said latter arm engaging said catch to latch said door in open position.

5. In a refrigerator car having a door opening in a wall thereof and a sliding flush door for closing said opening, a pivoted catch fastened to the outer face of said door and extending beyond the rear edge thereof, a stop and automatic latch for said door secured to said wall,

said stop and automatic latch comprising a stop member having a wall provided with an opening and adapted to engage the rear edge of said door for limiting opening movement thereof, a latch arm pivotally mounted on said stop member for transverse swinging movement across the rear edge of said door, and an actuating arm pivotally connected to said latch arm, said actuating arm normally extending through said opening in said wall of said stop member, said rear edge of said door engaging said actuating arm during the final opening movement of said door and imparting a thrust thereto and swinging movement to said latch arm, said latter arm engaging said catch to latch said door in open position.

6. As an article of manufacture, a stop and automatic latch for sliding doors of railway cars comprising a stop member having a door engaging wall provided with an opening, a latch arm, means pivotally mounting said latch arm on said stop member for swinging movement in an upwardly inclined plane transversely to said car and stop member, an actuating arm pivotally connected to said latch arm for imparting swinging movement thereto, said actuating arm normally extending through said opening in said wall into the path of said door, and means on said stop member engageable with one of said arms for limiting swinging movement of said latch arm.

7. As an article of manufacture, a stop and automatic latch for sliding doors of railway cars comprising a stop member having a door engaging wall provided with an opening, a latch arm, means pivotally mounting said latch arm on said stop member for swinging in an upwardly inclined plane transversely to said car and stop member, an actuating arm pivotally connected to said latch arm for imparting swinging movement thereto, said actuating arm normally extending through said opening in said wall into the path of said door, and means engageable with said first mentioned arm for limiting swinging movement thereof for the purpose set forth.

8. As an article of manufacture, a stop and automatic latch for limiting opening movement of a sliding door carrying a pivoted keeper projecting beyond the rear edge of the door and latching said door in open position comprising a wall engageable with the rear edge of said door to limit opening movement thereof, a pivotally mounted latch arm, and an actuating arm operatively connected with said latch arm for imparting swinging movement thereto, said actuating arm extending beyond said wall for engagement by said rear edge of said door, said latch arm being swung across said rear edge of said door into engagement with the keeper when said actuating arm is put into motion by said door.

9. As an article of manufacture, a stop and automatic latch for limiting opening movement of a sliding door carrying a pivoted keeper projecting beyond the rear edge of the door and latching said door in open position comprising a wall engageable with the rear edge of said door 'to limit opening movement thereof, a pivotally mounted latch arm, and an actuating arm pivotally connected to said latch arm for imparting 6 swinging movement thereto, said actuating arm extending through an opening in said wall for engagement by said rear edge of said door, said latch arm being swung across said rear edge of said door into engagement with the keeper when said actuating arm is put into motion by said door.

CARL LUTE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 145,644 Gibbs Dec. 16, 1873 432,841 Seemann July 22, 1890 742,092 Cossey Oct. 20, 1903 753,642 Sliga Mar. 1, 1904 20 1,073,057 Schmid Sept. 9, 1913 1,302,168 Hughes Apr. 29, 1919 2,196,294 Dwyer Apr. 9, 1940 

